Teachers' Day (Malaysia)
Next: May 16, 2027
For the teacher who believed in you.
The story
Where it comes from
Malaysia's Teachers' Day, Hari Guru, looks back to 16 May 1956. On that day the Federal Legislative Council of Malaya accepted the recommendations of the Report of the Education Committee as the country's education policy. The document became known as the Razak Report, after the education minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. In March 1972 the Ministry of Education named the same date a day for teachers, and the first Hari Guru was held on 16 May 1972. Its aims included raising the standing of teachers and drawing parents' and the public's attention to their work.
How it's celebrated
Schools hold assemblies at which pupils sing, dance and put on skits for their teachers, and many celebrations end with a cake-cutting and photographs. Pupils write thank-you cards and letters and bring flowers, bookmarks and handmade gifts, where it is the thought that counts. At the national celebration the Ministry of Education honours outstanding teachers and school leaders, among them the National Teacher Laureate, Tokoh Guru Kebangsaan.
Did you know
- The first Teacher Laureate awards, in 1975, went to five teachers: Zainun Munshi Sulaiman, Mohd Nor Ahmad, Ting Pin Sung, A.V. Perumal and Tan Chong Bee.
- Zainun, known as Ibu Zain, became supervisor of the Malay girls' schools of Johor in 1927 and was a pioneer of education for Malay girls.
- Every Hari Guru has its own national theme, starting in 1972 with 'The Role of Teachers in National Development'.
The greeting
Selamat Hari Guru
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